Radiator shutter unit



y 14, 1940- I w. AGERELL :1- AL 2.200.733

RADIATOR SIfIUTTER UNIT Original Filed Jan. 15, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Jaw-anions [Liam Cl fyete/ll fikn fl Du May 14, 1940. w. c. AGERELL ET!AL RADIATOR SHUTTER UNIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original FilBd'Jan. 15, 1937May 14, 1940. w. c. AGERELL :TAL

RADIATOR SHUTTER UNIT Original Filed Jan. 15, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheetumn-m-mu-Nmm-m nun-mum's By I M May 14, 1940. w. c. AGERELL AL RADIATORSHUTTER UNIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Jan. 15, 1957 terfere withthe position which would normally Patented May 14, 1940 UNITEDRADIATORJSHUTTER UNIT William flrAgerell, Chicago, 111., and John D.

Durant,

Detroit, Mich.,

assignors to Pines Winterfront Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofDelaware Application January 15,1937, Serial No. 120,694 v RenewedOctober 12, 1939 i i 10 Claims.

Our invention relates to radiator shutter units, and especially radiatorshutter units for controlling the flow of cooling air through theradiators of internal combustion engines.

Many of the objects and features of the present invention are concernedespecially with problems peculiar toradiator shutter units for tractors.

or for stationary engines of similar type. Tractors seldom achieve anyconsiderable ground.

speed. At the same time their motors are subject to unusually hard pullswhich tendto in crease the amount of heat to be dissipated through theradiator. For this reason the radiator fans are of unusual capacity andcreate arelatively large air pressure against the radiator which must beheld back without substantial leakage by the shutter unit during thewarming up period. Usual constructions of radiator shutters forautomobiles if applied to tractors are found. not to operate with thedegree of efhcacy achieved in automobiles. They do not hold so tightlyagainst the fan pressure Another problem encountered with tractors isthat they normally operate on kerosene or lowor grade distillate usinggasoline only for startmg. very limited, it is important that thewarming up of the motor be completed within a limitedtime in order thatthe supply of starting gasoline does not become prematurely exhausted.We have also found that due to the high fan pressures,

if there is some substantial space between the radiator core and theclosed shutter, a local circulation of air will be set up through theradiator core which will. materially cool the radiatorand oftendangerously so despite the fact that the shutter may be tightly closed.To meet these conditions peculiar to tractors, we have so arranged theshutters that they tend to close under the .air flow created by the fan,andwe have also proved mounting for the shutter unit, a framing of theshutter which is rugged and yet permits convenient replacement ofshutter blades, 2. proective grill for the shutters, and provisiontoallow clearance for working parts of the steering apparatus on certaintypes of tractors which inbe occupied by a conventional shutter unit..The foregoing together with further objects,

features and advantages of our invention are set 1y lower elevation onthe line -5 of Fig. 2;

As the supply of gasoline for starting is forth in the followingdescription of specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tractor to which the shutter unit of ourinvention hasbeen ap- 5' plied; l i

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the shutter unit taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1; i

Fig, 3 is a medial vertical sectionlongitudinally of the tractor throughthe radiator and shutter unit taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Y i

r Fig. 4; is a plan section of the radiator unit taken on the line 4--4of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan section at a slight- Fig. 6 is afragmentary plan section through the side frame of the unit taken on theline 6-8 of Fig. 2; U

Fig. '7 is a vertical section looking rearwardly of the upper corner ofthe shutter unit taken on 2 the line l'l ofFig. 4

Fig. 8 is a vertical section, looking rearwardly, of the oppositelateral side of' the shutter unit taken on the lines 8-8 of Figs. 4 and5; and i Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan section similar to 5 Fig. 5, butshowing a modified-construction whereby the shutters when closed comestill closer to theforward face of the radiator core. Referring to Fig.1, the radiator shutter of our invention is here shown as applied to atractor 20; which has a radiator 21 comprising a core 22 (Fig. 3),anupper header 23, lower header Z4 and channel-shaped frame sides 25. Onits rearward side the radiator carries a shroud 2B for the radiator fan21 at the forward end of the engine. The particular type of tractor hereillustrated has a central forward vertical post which carries the axleforthe front wheels. -As an auxiliary steering aid for sharp corners orsquare turns, brakes on the differential are controlled by cables 28 runto a steering arm 29 which ex tends rearwardly from the post into ratherclose juxtaposition with the radiator.

It might be explained at this point that, because of the arm 29 in thisparticular type of tractor, there is not sufficient clearance at theelevation of the arm 29 between the endof the arm and the core for theradiator shutters to extend. the entire distance from top to bottomacross the front of the radiator core. Therefore, 0 in a tractor shutterunit adapted for usein this particulartype of tractor, and as hereillustrated,

l the shutters extenddown only to an elevation a spaced distance abovethe lower end of the core to provide ample clearance for the arm 29. Itwill v be understood that in tractors which do not have the interferingauxiliary steering arm 29, the shutters will extend substantially to thebottom of the core face.

The shutter unit indicated generally as 36 includes a rectangular frameconsisting of lateral frame members 3|, an upper frame member 32 and alower frame member 33. Each lateral frame member 3|, as shown in Figs. 5and 6, is

Z-shaped in cross section and comprises a for-- rearward flangescoplanar with those of the lateralframe members 3|. At its ends thelower frame member 33 is secured to the lateral frame members 3| byinside angle braces 38, the respective legs of which are spotwelded tothe inside faces of the webs of the respective shutter frame members.The upper shutter frame member 32 is secured at its ends to the lateralframe members 3| by an outside angle brace 39, one leg of which isspotwelded to the upper side of the horizontal web 40 of the upper framemember and the other leg of which is removably secured by bolts 4 to theouter side of the web of the lateral frame member 3|.

A plurality of vertically journaled shutters 46 are mounted on the frameto extend betweenthe upper and lower-shutter frame members so that whenthe shutters are closedthey shut ofi the field defined by the frame.Each shutter 46 comprises a web 41, 2. rolled bead 48 at one lateraledge and a channel 49 at the opposite lateral edge adapted to embraceand seal against the rolled bead 48 of the next shutter.

Each shutter at its respective ends carries a protruding pivot pin ortrunnion 50 aligned with the rolled bead 48. The trunnions 50 arejournaled in suitably spaced holes in upper and lower bearing strips5l'. Each bearing strip (see Fig. 3) comprises a metal channel 52 facingaway from the adjacent ends of the shutters, a filler,

strip 53 and a metal angle strip 54, the horizontal flange of whichforms a closure plate for the channel 52. The filler strip 53 ispreferably of laminated and oil impregnated fibre and the bearing holestherein rather snugly fit the trunnions, while the registering holes inthe webs of the channels 52, in the closure flange of the angle strips54, and in the horizontal webs of the upper and, lower shutter framemembers 32 and 33 are somewhat oversize, so that metal to metal bearingcontact is avoided. The bearing strips 5| are secured by rivets 55 tothe associated webs of the frame channels. Preferably the trunnions 50carry washer-like shoulders 56 whereby the edges of the body of eachshutter are kept out of contact with the bearing strips.

Atits upper end theweb portion 47 of each shutter is extended forwardlyin a horizontal plane tq provide an operating arm 51. Each arm 51is'pivotally connected at 58 to a shutter operating bar 59 for gangoperation of the shutters. A post 66 extends upwardly through a slot 6|in the web 40 of the upper frame member. The slot 6| is arcuate toconform with the arcuate path to which the post 66 is confined as theoper. ating bar 59 swings the shutters through 90 between their open andclosed positions.

' A bell crank 62 is pivotally mounted at 63 to a bracket 64 at one ofthe upper corners of the shutter frame. The bell crank 62 interconnectsa link 65 pivotally mounted on the post 60 and an operating rod 66. Theoperating rod 66, as shown in Fig. 1, extends rearwardly of the tractorto an adjusting lever 61 within convenient reach from the drivers seat.A tension spring 68 between a bracket hook 69 and the post 60 urges theoperating bar 56 in the direction to close the shutters. The adjustinglever 61 may be releasably locked in any one of a number of adjustedpositions whereby the rod 66 will shift the bar 59 to hold the shuttersin full open position or in closed position or in a plurality ofintermediate partially closed positions.

As previously explained, in order to provide clearance for the arm 29 ofthe auxiliary steering mechanism,the shutters do not extend down to thebottom of the core face, but only to the intermediately placed lowerframe member 33. A removable panel 10 closes the face of the core belowtheshutters.

The ends of the panel 1|] overlap the forward flange ll of the radiatorframe sides 25 and are removably secured thereto by cap screws 14. Theloweredge of the panel 16 is inserted immediately behind the lowerwasher plate 12, by which the lower header plate 13 is bolted to theattaching flange of the lower header 24. The upper margin of the panel10 has a forward offset 15 which overlaps and seals against thedownturned flange I6 of the lower frame member 33. In this manner thepanel 16 has a substantially air tight contact at its edges whereby thepanel effectively shuts off air supply to the radiator below theshutters.

By unscrewing the cap screws 14, the panel 10 may be removed and storedelsewhere during the summer season. It is not'necessary to remove theshutters during the summer season; they maybe locked in full openposition where they do not substantially interfere with the air supplyto the radiator. 1 v

The shutter unit is mounted on the radiator frame by the cap screws 31threaded into the radiator frame sides 25. The upper edge of thevertical flange 18 of the upper frame member 33 extends into theslot-like space between the rearward edge of the upper washer plate 8|and the forward face of the radiator core whereby leakage of air aroundthe upper edge of the shutter frame is effectively precluded.

By removing the screws 37 and disconnecting the control rod66, theshutter unit may be removed after the panel Ill is removed from thetractor.

If it is necessary to remove one of the shutters for repair orreplacement, the bolts 4| are removed, permitting the upper framemember, together with the bearing strip, to be removed from theremainder of the frame and from the shutters. This permits any shutterto be lifted out of its bearing in the lower bearing strip.

A protective screen 82 of woven wire, or as here shown of expandedmetal, is preferably mounted on the shutter frame forwardly of the openposition of the shutters to prevent any injury to them and to keep outany foreign matter, such as twigs, straw, etc., which might clog theshutters. At its lateral and bottom margins the screen 82 is spotweldedto the rearward faces of the forward and vertical flanges of the bottomframe member 33 and the "lateral frame members 3|. Its upper edge,however, is not similarly welded to the forward depending flange 83 ofthe upper frame member 32. That would 2,20o,'rea

welded to the underface of the web ill of the upper frame member 32 nearits forward edge.

The reinforcing strip 84 and the angle strip 85 cooperate to hold theupper edge of the screen in position and against inward movement, whilestill permitting the ready removal of the upper frame member 32. Forcertain models of tractors, an opening 86 (to be seen at the right of rFig. 2) may beprovided at one lateral edge of the screen for passage ofthe connecting pipe of an oil cleaner, not shown.

The operation of the shutter unit is as follows: when the tractor engineis to be started, when it is cold. the driver manipulates the adjustinglever ill to push the rod fill forwardly and together with the tensionof the spring 68 swing the shutters to their; closed position. In

. the closed position the channel 4?: formed in the free edge of eachshutter embraces the bead 45 of thepivotal edge of the adjacent shutterand forms a substantially airtight seal therewith.

The beaded pivotal edge of the first shutter, as

- shown in. Fig. 6, comes in close working contact with a terminal stripwhich is secured by means of a forwardly offset flange to the inner faceof the web 35 of the adjacent lateral shutter frame member 3|. The freeor channel edge of the last shutter seals against the terminal strip 8!at the other side of the shutter frame. The upper and lower edges of theshutters extend to their respective bearing strips with only thenecessary working clearance. The shutter frame shuts off air leakage atthe sides and top of the shutters, and the panel it shuts off airleakage below the shutter unit. ,Referring to Fig. 3, the verticalflanges of the upper and lower angle strips 54 overlap, and lie inintimate planar proximity to, the shutter panels when in their closedposition, thereby further sealing the slight working clearance betweenthe shutter ends and the bearing strips occasioned by the trunnionshoulders 56. This prevents any air passing from the front of theradiator through the core.

The fuel feed to the motor is turned to its gasoline starting supply andthe motor is started.

The shrouded fan will churn the air, but cannot cause anysubstantialcirculation of air through the radiator. After the engine,the water or other medium in the circulating system, and the radiatorhave been warmed up with the heat of the engine to the requiredoperating temperature, the fuel feed is turned to the kerosene or otherlower grade fuel supply and the control lever BI is reset to open theshutters to the degree necessary to maintain the required operating termment of the shutters, the lever. 67 exerts a push on the rod 66, butrigidity of the rod 66 is not essential because the tension spring 68 isthen permitted to pull the shutters toward closed position, and this issupplemented by the effect of the air drawn through the shutters by thefan.-

If the shutters were mounted to swing rear wardly when they open, theplane of the closed shutters would be at a considerable distance awayfrom thefront face of the core. The same would be true to a lesserdegree if each shutter were pivotally mounted on an axis intermediateits edges. One of the salient features of the present invention is thatthe plane of the closed shut: ters substantially juxtaposes the frontface of the radiator. This is important, especially in in-. stallationson tractors or radiators for other engines where the fans are especiallypowerful. If there is a relatively large space left between the frontface of the core and the closure plane of the shutters. the fan will setup local eddy currents through the core, the air traveling rearwardlythrough the core at the region of greatest pull of the fan and returningforwardly ator core is used and the lateral margins of its face arerecessed for reception of the front flange ll of the channel shaped sideframes of the radiator. In this manner the front face of the core isbrought into contact with the panel porticns of the shutters when theyare in their closed positions. In this modification thereis noopportunity for any eddy currents. In practicethe preferred form shownsuffices to avoid such eddy currents to an extent necessary to avoidmost of their harmful effects.

We have thus found. that if the space between the plane of the closedshutter and the forward face of the core isexcessively large, measuringfrom front to back,it offers a substantially unrestricted space forlocal circulation; whereby cold air is circulated from the space behindthe l fan and shroud, forwardly through the core especially adjacent thecorners of the core, thence transversely or vertically through the spacebetweenthe front face of the core and the plane of the closed shuttersand back through the core at the region of greater pull of the fan.This'is not necessarily recirculation of the same air, which in timewould become warm, but involves introduction of new and cold air fromthe space at the rear of the radiator. If this condition prevails undervery low temperatures, enough cold air may be circulated throughthecore, even though the shutters are closed, to permit the water tofreeze in the radiator while the engine is running;

By mounting the shutters so that when closed they come close to thefront face of the core and 1. The combination of a cooling radiator foran internal combustion engine, the radiator comprising a core and aframe, said core having a core face, a fan at the rear of the radiatorfor pulling air rearwardly through the core, a shutter unit comprising aframe and a plurality of shutters, means for mounting the shutter frameon the radiator frame, each shutter having a bead at one edge, means forjournalling each shutter on the frame at its beaded edge, the oppositeedge of each shutter being constructed and arranged to swing intosealing contact with the beaded edge of its neighboring shutter to closethe shutters, the journals of the shutters being disposed closelyadjacent the front face of the core whereby, when the shutters are swungto closed position, their inner faces lie in a plane I somewhat inwardlyof their pivotal axes and sufficiently close to the core face to preventsubl stantial air circulation between the core face and closed shuttersand parallel therewith, the shutters in opening swinging away from thecore face whereby the pull of the fan tends to close them, and gangoperating means for swinging the shut- 2. A radiator shutter unitcomprising a marginal frame having frame members at two opposed sides,each of said frame members having a bearing flange in an outwardlyextending plane, and a rearward flange extending upward- .ly from thebearing flange and adapted to lie in the plane of, and closely adjacentthe front face of, a radiator core, a bearing strip extending along theinner face of each bearing flange,

a set of shutters extending between, and journaled in, the bearingstrips, and an angle strip associated with, and extending along, eachbearing strip and having one flange inserted between the bearing stripand its associated bearing flange and another flange extending inwardlybetween the bearing strip and core face for closely overlapping theassociated ends of theshutters and the space between them and thebearing strip.

3. A radiator shutter unit comprising a pair of spaced bearing strips atopposed sides of the bearing strip.

4. A radiator shutter unit mounted to lie across the front of a radiatorcore at the face thereof which is opposite its pull fan, the shutterunit comprising a battery of gang-operated shutter blades, frame membersextending along the respective ends of .the blades, and meansforpivotally mounting the respective blades to swing between an openposition and a laterally interengaging closed position, which closedposition precludes substantial fan-drafted circulation of air parallelwith the adjacent face of the core and between it and the blades, saidmounting means comprising cooperating sets of male and female bearingelements journaling the blades to swing forwardly to open position andto swing rearwardly into close substantial parallelism with the adjacentcore face for the closedposition, the bearing of each set being carriedrespectively by, and at the rear of, the frame members and by, and at.one lateral edge of, each of the blades.

5. A radiator shutter unit, according to claim 4, wherein the blades,when closed, present a rear closure face for the shutter unit which, ingeneral, lies closer to the adjacent face of the core than do the axesof the bearing elements.

6. The combination with a radiator having front and rear core faces,a'pull fan therefor behind the rear cor'e face, and a battery ofgangoperated shutter blades, of meansfor pivotally mounting therespective blades to swing between the open position and a laterallyinterengaging closed position which closed position brings the shutterblades so close to the front face of the core as to precludesubstantial'fan-drafted circulation of air parallel with the' front faceof the core and between it and the blades,'said mount-- ing meanscomprising frame members extending along the respective ends of thebladesand. cooperating sets of male and female bearing elementsjournaling the blades to swing forwardly to open position and to swingrearwardly into close substantial parallelism with the front co-re facefor the closed position, the bearing elements of each set being carriedrespectively by, and at the rear of, the frame members and by, and atone lateral edge of, each of the blades.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the blades, when closed,present a rear closure face for the shutter unit which, in general, liescloser to the adjacent face of the core than to the axes of the pivotalmounting means for the blades.

8. The combination of a pull fan radiator having a core face on the sideopposite the fan, and a set of shutters for the radiator, each shuttercomprising a generally flat panel, a bead along one lateral edge of thepanel, and a running offset along the other edge of the panel forpartially embracing and sealing against the bead of the adjoiningshutter when theshutters are closed, and mounting means for spacedlymounting the shutters across the front core face to pivot about theirrespective beaded edges for gang-operation between (a) a co-planarclosed position with the panels lying substantially in a plane in closeproximity to the front core face with the pivots, beads and ofisetslying outwardly of said plane,

said proximity being sufficiently close to pre clude substantialfan-drafted circulation of air between the front core face and theshutters, and (b) an open position with the panels extending away fromthe core face.

9. A shutter unit for a radiator comprising a pair of bearing strips atopposed'sides of the unit, a set of laterally spaced vertical shuttersextending between the bearing strips, means for journaling the ends ofeach shutter on the respective strips at one lateral edge of theshutter, means for mounting the strips on the radiator with the shutterscovering the core face of the radiator, and a covering strip extendingalong each bearing strip and disposed parallel with, and closelyadjacent, the plane of the closed shutters at the core face side thereofvertically to overlap the adjacent ends of the shutters andthe gapbetween the ends of the shutters and the bearing strip to block passageof air through the gap.

10. The combination with a radiator having a core, an upper core plate,a top tank thereon, portions of theplate and tank protruding forwardlyof the front face of the core, a washer strip below the protrudingportion of the blate I and. spaced forwardly of the core face to leave adownwardly opening slot between the core face and washer, and amarginally framed shutter unit,-of means for mounting. the shutter uniton the front side of the radiator, including a rearward vertical flangeextending upwardly from the top of the shutter frame into the slot tohold the upper end of the shutter end against outward movement.

